Community Bookshelf launched to support local charities

A new Community Bookshelf has been launched in Glossop to help raise money for local charities and community groups while encouraging people of all ages to share a love of reading. 

The Hummingbird Project has partnered with Pico Lounge and Glossopdale Community Champions to create the new “Community Bookshelf”, which offers a wide selection of books for children and adults in return for a small donation. 

All of the money raised through the bookshelf will be given back to local charities and community groups through a monthly funding pot, alongside an additional donation from Glossopdale Community Champions. Applications for groups wishing to benefit from the scheme will open soon. 

Organisers are calling on local residents to donate more children’s books and good-quality adult fiction titles to help keep the shelves stocked. Donations can be dropped off at The Hummingbird Project hub on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 10am and 2pm, or at Pico Lounge at Howard Town Retail Park. 

The Hummingbird Project has become well known locally for its pioneering “Freetail” community hub - a free retail-style space where people can donate items they no longer need and others can take what they need without judgement or stigma attached. 

The volunteer-led organisation provides free adult, children’s and baby clothing, toiletries, school uniforms, toys, books, home furnishings and essential baby items including prams and cots. The project supports people across the High Peak, including families struggling financially, people fleeing difficult situations and residents passionate about sustainability and reducing waste. 

Founder Jo Gregory said the idea behind the project was always about more than simply giving things away. 

She said: “At its heart is something we call ‘freetail’ - a free retail space where people can simply give what they can and take what they need. 

“But for me, it was never just about making things free. It was about creating a space where people feel like they matter. 

“What I wanted to build was something different - a place where someone can donate a bag of clothes and know they’re helping someone else, someone can come in and take what they need without judgement, and someone can volunteer their time and feel part of something. 

“That’s the real power of freetail. It creates a cycle where people aren’t just supported - they’re part of the support.” 

Organisers hope the new bookshelf initiative will not only raise valuable funds for local causes, but also strengthen community connections and encourage more people to support one another through sharing, donating and recycling. 

Photo: Founder of The Hummingbird Project, Jo Gregory.